Widcomm for Axim x50v and x51v. State of the development

[mikelspikel]

I think that some of the problems may be due to confusion in the first post in this thread as to which version is in fact the latest version. Near the top of the post it gives a couple of links to what it says is the latest version. However, this is not the latest version - you have to go down to "UPDATE 06-01-2006: NEW VERSION 0.50" for links to the latest (I think) version.

Maybe you want to put links to the latest version near the beginning of the first post to avoid confusion?

This is, as everyone else has said, a great project. I'm going to donate through Paypal as soon as I get back to my laptop - posting this on my Axim X51v now.

Tom

Maybe you're right. I'm updating the first post to clarify which is the latest version. Thanks for the suggestion.

[stormloader]

Double Post... Delete this Post please...

[stormloader]

I was trying to move files from my x51v to a new Motorola L2 (cingular) phone and it wasn't working. I decided to install the BT files here to see if that made a difference.

It DID!

Now I can send files to the L2 using OBEX.

Questions:

1. To send a file it seems to default to (All folders/All files). Can this be changed easily? I tried to do it under "Tools" but couldn't get it to work. I have to move files that are nested in folders up to higher folders for them to be seen by BT.

2. Is there any way choose a file to "Send File with BT" while using in GSFinder?

3. I only installed the "Broadcom Bluetooth StackX51V05.cab" (I installed the SetSecurity file for something else long ago). Are these the only 2 you need to install?

What does the "patchDUN.reg" file do? (is it necessary?)
What does the "Aximsite_WirelessPower.cab" file do? (is it necessary?)
What does the "BTSpeedSwitcher.exe" file do? (is it necessary?)

I believe question #3 should be answered on the 1st post here or at least in a "ReadMe.txt" file or "install.txt" file in the main zipped download file.

Don't you agree?

Thanks!
T

[fourwed]

this should be sticky, right??

I have installed this on a few x51's a06 with no problems at all. But the other day i wanted to install it on a x51v A12 (because A12 was on when i got it). The installer start fine and it installs it.
But each time i turn on the x51v it tells me the bluetooth radio failed to turn on due to insuficient driver memory or something like that. And tells me to reset my PPC, if i do that it will just promt again, and again and again.

I also tried downgrading from A12 to A06 but was unsuccessful.

Anyone else experience this?

[athlonduke]

wow....after installing this update BT works like it should. thanks a ton for all your efforts guys :)

[alexvej]

Hi I have axim x51V with Widcomm 0.5 and A12 Rom
When I redirect audio to my Logitech Bluetooth which located on my computer. I hear some skipping. Please advise. In the same time my cell phone player (Samsung) playing very good when I redirect audio to pc

[GibsonXXI]

Thanks to Beemer, I've now installed the latest version of the BT Stack.

I have noticed that with the upgraded stack installed, that the link to Bluetooth under the "Home" application has no icon. The link is there, and works, but there is no icon displayed.

However, as the project as a whole is concerned, it's a wonderful addition to the X51. I've only had mine since Tuesday of this week, and already i'm hacking it to make it more productive / suit my needs, which is exactly what should be done with ALL M$ software!



Great Job guys.

:approve:

One thing that's bugging me tho...

No matter how many turorials I read, or how I configure the Bluetooth, I cannot seem to get it to access the internet. I am using the Network Access feature of the Widcomm driver to talk to the Bluetooth Network Access service on my Belkin F8T001_V2 USB Bluetooth adapter. Nothing works. Belkins own instructions for Bluetooth networking are for systems using a ADSL Modem, with ICS. NOT for computers with a dedicated ADSL router. I've tried bridging the connections between the Bluetooth Network adapter and the LAN Connection on the PC, and PIE just refuses to connect.

I tried various combinations of specifying IP address info on the PDA or letting it auto-detect. It sits there thinks about it, then falls flat on it's face.

I know WiFi is available, but I don't want to use WiFi, I want to use Bluetooth. I already know how to surf on WiFi, but, Bluetooth uses less power, hence my desire to use it, especially as I know this *should* be possible with both the PDA and Widcomm drivers on the USB Adapter both supporting Network Access. Besides, the more options that are available, the happier I am.



Regards,

Gib.

[GibsonXXI]

I was sat in work this afternoon, and a realisation suddenly dawned on me like a bolt out of the blue, something like this...



...Considering the fact, that the Bluetooth stack now residing on my phone is a Widcomm replacement stack from an earlier device, not a competing device, or one running on the same version of the OS, how could I reasonably expect the Axim to connect to the internet with a connection method it was not inherently programmed to use?

All the other software still on the phone, is still MS original, so expecting it to make use of a connection method like Bluetooth, which it's not designed to use, was a bit naive. The original stack was only designed to communicate with another phone via Bluetooth, to access a connection via analogue or GPRS data, not LAN. So it no wonder I could not illicit a connection from the device using the Widcomm PAN setup.

Also, the realisation was made more convincing by the behaviour of ActiveSync with the new Bluetooth stack, whereby you have to manually connect to the ActiveSync service via Bluetooth Manager, BEFORE you attempt to sync.

This is an untested theory, because as yet i've not tried mapping network drives, or pinging a remote IP with the built in software, to see if it is "Widcomm-aware" or not, but at the moment, this is the most plausible explanation.



Anyhow, I have a theory as to why the Widcomm / Broadcom drivers are so much more capable that the Widcomm equivilents. I remember reading somewhere that MS were late into the Bluetooth game, or rather, shall we say, they were late adding support for it to their OS products. If we assume that this is true, and if the MS people were to attempt to add Widcomm-like services via their Bluetooth, how long would it be before they get a raft of lawsuits drop on the doormat? Maybe they just decided it was a dead-end technology at the time, and now the rest of us have to pay for the mistake.

:rolling:

Regards,

Gib.

[nakedracer]

Hey, does anyone have or know of earbud bluetooth headphones or a bluetooth audio receiver(lets you plug in your own headphones) that do not skip, even when the axim is in your pocket?

[dvmed]

this should be sticky, right??

I also think it should, although there's no need. This thread is so popular, it pops up on page 1 every now and then. :approve:

One thing that's bugging me tho...

No matter how many turorials I read, or how I configure the Bluetooth, I cannot seem to get it to access the internet. I am using the Network Access feature of the Widcomm driver to talk to the Bluetooth Network Access service on my Belkin F8T001_V2 USB Bluetooth adapter. Nothing works. Belkins own instructions for Bluetooth networking are for systems using a ADSL Modem, with ICS. NOT for computers with a dedicated ADSL router. I've tried bridging the connections between the Bluetooth Network adapter and the LAN Connection on the PC, and PIE just refuses to connect.

I tried various combinations of specifying IP address info on the PDA or letting it auto-detect. It sits there thinks about it, then falls flat on it's face.

There are two ways of getting internet access via BT and a PC connected to Internet:
1-)Establish a Activesync connection to the PC and use the passthrought capability of activesync.
2-)In the PC create the BT Lan card (You may need widcomm stack on the PC) and then share your internet access on the Internet connected lan card properties of the PC. Then simply add the PDA to the BT network. Windows XP Internet conection Sharing provides small NAT and DHCP services in order to make the connection automatically.

[mikelspikel]

I've found some new registry keys that can be used to tweak the encoding process of the A2DP profile. They can be used to change the bitrate used and the audio quality. And maybe some tweaking can avoid skipping problems...

The keys are:

Under [HKLM\Software\Widcomm\Plugin\AV]
- Blocks (DWORD)
- SubBands (DWORD)
- LineSpeed (DWORD)

In the tests I've done, it seems necessary to set Blocks=16 and SubBands=8 to achieve decent audio quality.

The most interesting parameter is LineSpeed, which seems to be something related to the bitrate (in kbps) the encoder uses to transmit the audio to the headphones. With my device and i.Tech S38, it seems to default to 230. With this default setting, the headphones sound quite well but the quality drop is noticeable (compared to the quality got by listening with wired headphones). I've tried two new values (256 and 320) and the gain is important. With 320, I can't find any difference between wired and BT headphones.

I believe this can be interesting if you find the audio quality got by BT is not perfect. With 320, at least in my case, it is. Moreover, maybe adjusting this parameter to some different values (128, 256 or 320 for example) can be used to avoid skipping? Someone could try (nakedracer?). By the way, no skipping at all with i.Tech Clip S38.

Hi Mikel,
I understand that the values you are giving are in decimal, correct?

I'll try this evening. Have you tested this new values (specially linespeed) at the maximum BT speed (918Kbs). Still hungs?

I think it's time to make a new 0.6 version with this hack, as long as correct the version bug, translate port from COM8 to COM6 (PPP As and Dell GPS problems), and add the speed change program.

Am I forgetting something?

[mikelspikel]

Hi Mikel,
I understand that the values you are giving are in decimal, correct?

I'll try this evening. Have you tested this new values (specially linespeed) at the maximum BT speed (918Kbs). Still hungs?

I think it's time to make a new 0.6 version with this hack, as long as correct the version bug, translate port from COM8 to COM6 (PPP As and Dell GPS problems), and add the speed change program.

Am I forgetting something?

Yes, values are in decimal. Yes, I've tested at full speed and it still hungs. . I agree about version 0.6. What do you think about adding to the Speed switcher some options to tweak these A2DP settings? By the way, I've updated the WirelessPower tool a little bit. For example it has a system tray icon to launch it. Maybe we can include it too.